


Destiny Begins

by ladyamesindy



Series: ShepShep - John and Jane  Shepard [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 17:46:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8499295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyamesindy/pseuds/ladyamesindy
Summary: “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”Jean de La FontaineWhat do you do when your best friend goes off the grid and you are separated by over half the galaxy?  John Shepard goes in search of Jane, now alone and on her own back on Earth.  The trials they face now will set them up for the remainder of their lives ... if they can survive.  Prequel to Destiny's Road.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this background piece for well over a year now, probably closer to two. HUGE THANKS to guileandgall for betaing for me! Not only is she a ShepShep fan, but she's a fantastic beta and helped make sure I presented the best story possible! Any remaining issues are mine and mine alone. Also, HUGE THANKS to Whuffie for helping me with the banner! I have no practical experience with Photoshop, even if I'd been able to access it! lol

 

_“Ladies and gentlemen, we are arriving at London Intergalactic Spaceport.  Please check that all items are properly stowed and your safety harnesses are securely fastened ….”_

Though his thoughts were focused inwards, John heard the announcement and crossed it off his mental checklist.  It was a process, or a part of one.  A bridge taking him from Point A to Point B.  Necessary.  Routine was something he was used to having in his daily life thanks to parents who served. And yet, it did little to reassure him, as evidenced by the way his left leg bounced up and down at a constant, rapid pace.  It was a clear indication that anxiety had the edge in this particular battle, and John sighed when he recognized it.  Closing his eyes, he willed the movement to stop. 

Final approach and landing took all of fifteen minutes, but John considered it the longest fifteen minutes he’d lived in his almost eighteen years.  Toss in the mandatory customs check for passengers arriving from off-world, and by the time he exited the London spaceport, he practically burst through the doors onto London’s busy streets.  The desperation to start moving towards his main mission finally found purchase and refused to let go.

The _SSV Einstein_ had been out on patrol in the Terminus Systems when John received Jane’s message; weeks from any port where he could catch an Earthbound ship.  John responded immediately, of course, to her message -- the announcement that her grandmother to whom she’d been sent to live passed away.  Her reply returned just as quickly.  _I’m all alone now._

Those four words sent a panic through him so swift and strong, it was all he could do to wait for the _Einstein_ to eventually make port for reprovisioning.  Six months into a nine-month deployment to some of the farthest reaches of space, there was no way he could get anywhere resembling civilization any sooner, let alone a foreign spaceport with access back to the Sol System.  Still, he’d written back immediately hoping his words would reassure her she wouldn’t be alone for long. 

While she’d responded to his first message, the second time he received only silence.  One hundred and two days and counting of gut-wrenching, worry-filled nothing.  Given the closeness they shared, that set off all sorts of alarm bells screaming warnings in his head.  This was too out of character for her behavior to go overlooked! 

Stuck aboard ship, it drove John crazy at first.  He tried to find distraction in planning and used that as a way to kill the time he’d have to wait.  Detailing his own personal S&R mission for his best friend, he researched, pulled up maps, sought ways to obtain the basic equipment he needed, and made sure his financing was in place.  He left nothing to chance; everything, down to three potential arrival times and location depending on which port the _Einstein_ made first and when.  Every last detail had shape and form.  So focused on his mission was he that the thought of informing his parents never even crossed his mind.  He was almost eighteen, an adult practically, with plans to enlist on his birthday in a couple of months.  It wasn’t like he had told them about _that_ either, though they knew because they knew _him_.  _DUTY_ was bred into him as it had been them at his age.  In the end, John finally did send them both a quick note just before his first flight left port, and hoped they would understand when next they met in person.

Fourteen weeks, four days, nine hours and sixteen minutes from her last contact with him they’d finally made port.  Docking procedures weren’t even completed by the time he’d left the _Einstein_ and was boarding the first Earthbound flight. 

Now came the real test of patience.

Out on the streets of London, John hefted his pack over his shoulders and took a good look around, trying to get his bearings.  There was a huge difference between weeks of studying overhead viewing maps versus seeing it live and up close in person.  It was almost fifteen weeks now, since he first received her message.  He had an address, a starting point: her grandmother’s apartment.  He doubted Jane would be there, but it was as good as any place to begin.  Perhaps someone else in the building could tell him where to find her or offer something in the way of information.  And if not?  Well, that was why he’d planned it all out, wasn’t it?

 


	2. Chapter 2

The vaguest hint of lyrics from an ancient Earth song tickled the back of Jane’s mind as she sat at the table, fiddling with the omni-tool’s laid out before her like patients awaiting surgery, which, in fact, they were.  Sort of. 

_Life is just a fantasy …_

Jane snorted softly in disgust.  Some fantasy her life was turning out to be.  A fantasy of horrors, perhaps.  Father killed in action when she was eight.  Her mother met the same fate when she was sixteen.  Then her grandmother died from a previously unknown allergic reaction to something in a new medication.  And now …

_When I was sixteen, and sick of school …_

Grunting in irritation as her brain tossed further bits of useless knowledge her way when she should be focusing on the job at hand, Jane flicked a button on the omni-tool she currently held that brought up the haptic keyboard.  One-handed, she began typing.  She wasn’t an expert by any means, but to those for whom she worked, she was the only one who could get the damned outdated things to operate worth a damn.  And since they needed as many working ‘tools as they could get, it was, at the very least, job security.  It also gave her a way to earn a place to sleep and daily meals.  And she couldn’t afford to be picky.

“How’re the upgrades going, McIntyre?”

Jane snarled, unwilling to look up at the doorway.  Distractions were one thing.  Annoyances were something else entirely.  Finch definitely fell into that second category and was certainly not anyone she liked speaking with at the best of times.  And this most certainly was _NOT_ the best of times.  She had a deadline to meet, and he always seemed to show up at the eleventh hour with _some_ thing to say or do or an order to bandy about.  Hell, the only reason she put up with him at all was because she really had no choice.  He’d been part of the _Reds_ long before they’d taken her in and was in tight with the boss. Personally, Jane thought Finch harbored delusions of grandeur, thinking he was some sort of hotshot moving up the chain of command and with a power trip to match.  Of late, he seemed to think he could tell anyone what to do.  It didn’t matter he wasn’t around enough to be in as tight as he seemed to think.  Jane heard more than one rumor that he was actually only one smartass comment away from finding himself in more than just a little bit of trouble.  Curiosity left her wondering how he might react if he ever found that part out, but that was a fight for a different day.

“They’ll be done when they’re done!” she spat out beneath her breath, finishing the current code input and setting it aside to process. 

“Well, hurry it up!  Barrows needs them tonight.”

She grunted again, not bothering to reply verbally this time.  Instead, she reached for another device, flipping up the haptic display before repeating procedure she’d used on the last one.  If he’d just leave her alone, she’d have all ten of these things ready in plenty of time.

Unfortunately, Finch either wasn’t smart enough to figure it out on his own, didn’t know how to take a hint or simply didn’t care.  He stepped inside the kitchenette and dropped into the seat across from her.  “How much longer?” he asked, reaching long, calloused fingers towards the device she’d just finished.

Instinctively, Jane reached out to slap his hand away before he destroyed all of her hard work.  “You ass, leave it alone!” she hissed.  “It’s still updating!”  Angry green eyes rose to meet icy blue and she had a lot of anger behind them fueling her at the moment.  “If you mess up what I’ve done so far, _YOU_ are going to explain to Barrows why they aren’t ready!”

Finch reached out and wrapped a hand around her slender wrist.  It tightened until Jane couldn’t hold back a gasp of pain.  Unchecked, he would leave a mark meaning to bruise.  “Just who do you think you are, McIntyre?  You’re here because the boss _needs_ you.  You do as you’re told.  You don’t get to order anyone around or --”

Dropping the ‘tool from her hand and yanking her other from his grasp, she jumped to her feet and backed away a couple steps.  A few greasy strands of copper curls fell into her eyes, but she blew them out of the way.  “I’m doing my job!” she growled.  “A job that, unless you’ve got tech skills you’ve been holding back from Barrows, no one else around here can do.  That doesn’t give you the right to --”

“What the hell’s going on in here?!”

The deep bellow should have been enough to cause Jane to jump at the very least, but she took relief from it instead.  Her gaze shifted to the large shadowy frame blocking most of the light from the hall.  Matthews.  _Thank god!_   Of all the members of the _10th Street Reds_ Jane had come to know since her arrival, Matthews was the friendliest towards her.  From the minute he and Weston found her out on the streets of London, alone, scared and lost, Matthews treated her like a little sister, offering protection and a home in return for her help.  Seeing as she’d had no place else to go at the time, Jane accepted. 

Finch straightened and backed away from the table.  He scowled darkly, but he knew better than to engage Matthews.  Large in height and shape with an almost boyish look to his face, he might come across as a gentle giant to Jane, but his reputation when provoked was the complete opposite.  He had size and skill on his side.  Plus, it was well known he was in better with the boss than the rest. 

And Finch knew it.  “Nothing,” Finch replied, turning towards the doorway.  “I was just leaving.”

Jane remained where she stood for a few moments, her breath rasping and rattling in her chest.  Matthews stood in the doorway a bit longer than necessary watching Finch exit.  Once he was gone, he entered the room and crossed over to Jane’s side.  “You okay, Li’l Sis?” he asked, the tone he used with her much kinder than the one used with Finch.

Jane tilted her head up to look at him.  He was so tall, even taller than she remembered John being, and John was one of the tallest people she’d ever met.  Nodding, she rubbed her sore wrist with her good hand.  “I’m good,” she replied with only the slightest shake in her voice.  “He just …”  Her voice trailed off when she couldn’t find the words to explain.

Matthews snorted angrily.  “Yeah, I know what ‘he just,’” he said quietly. 

Jane sighed softly, head dropping for a moment.  “Thanks for clearing him out, Mattie.”

Matthews smiled down at her -- the only one of the _Reds_ Jane had ever seen smile, come to think of it.  “No problem.”  He glanced over his shoulder at the table.  “How’re the upgrades coming?”

Moving back to the table, Jane eyed the ‘tool Finch had messed with, but it appeared he hadn’t done any damage to it and she set it aside in the ‘good to go’ pile.  “Nearly done.  Only two left,” she promised. 

“Done by dinner?”

Jane nodded immediately.  “Done by dinner,” she promised.

“I’ll send Henshaw to collect them then.”  Matthews started towards the doorway, pausing just outside and looking back at her.  “Watch out for Finch, Li’l Sis,” he said quietly in warning, dark eyes intense as he caught her gaze. 

Jane nodded and wondered if there wasn’t something more behind his words than what she already knew.  The guy was a creep of the highest levels.  “I will,” she promised. 

Matthews departed as Jane retook her seat and reached for the omnitool she’d dropped just minutes before.

 


	3. Chapter 3

His first couple of days in the city passed easy enough.  John found Jane’s grandmother’s old apartment using the address she gave him shortly after her arrival in the city months ago.  Not surprisingly, new tenants already resided there, none of whom knew anything about the people who’d occupied the space before.  Moving on, John checked with the neighbors, discovered one or two small bits of information, though nothing really helpful, and accepted a hot meal and a sofa to sleep on for the night.  As it turned out, the woman had known Jane well enough that Jane had told her about John, but unfortunately for him, she offered nothing further on where Jane might have moved on to. 

The next morning, John thanked her before heading out on the hunt once again.

His next destination proved a little trickier to find, and after a couple of missed turns, found it just as unproductive as his experience at the apartments.  The people at Jane’s school either didn’t know or wouldn’t tell him anything.  Again, no real surprise there, he figured.  Administrative types were always tight-lipped from what he’d seen.  He didn’t even find any students in his brief visit willing to speak with him, so he didn’t bother hanging around after that. 

Instead, he carefully reassessed what he knew about Jane and took the neighborhood into account.  This resulted in a visit to the local library every day for about a week, just in case he could catch a break and find her there.  Jane was, deep in her heart, a bookworm.  She liked to learn how things ticked and was always researching something if not reading for fun.  He read just enough to keep the librarians from chasing him out before they closed the place up for the night, but most of his time was spent studying every flash of red hair that caught his eye.  Every pair of green eyes peering around the shelves.  In the end, it was a longshot that ultimately came to nothing. 

Two weeks into his mission, and frustration began stalking him.  John had adequate finances available for the long haul, and expected to be on the hunt for a while, but he decided to cut corners and save up what he could. His education fund would never be used for its intended purpose since he planned to enlist.  Still, occasional dips were necessary, but he did so sparingly and with great care in order to make the funds last as long as possible.  He slept in hostels, dark alleys, wherever he could find a place that fit into the miserly budget he set for himself.  He even cut out a meal and ate only twice a day, but despite his best efforts to that end, it did little to help with how quickly time passed and how little information he was able to gain about Jane’s whereabouts, and that concerned him even more.

Moving on from the neighborhood where she’d lived with her grandmother, John expanded his search outwards.  He had a basic understanding of how S&R grid pattern searches were conducted from his years of living aboard the ships on which his parents served, and he tried to apply those to his task as much as possible.  Still, being the only person involved in the process, he discovered his effort was like that old Earth expression, ‘searching for a needle in a haystack.’

Practically a month into his search, John was walking down one of the more popular streets of the city when he spotted an Alliance recruitment center ahead of him.  Automatically leery of anyone recognizing him because of his parents, John quickly crossed the street.  So doing, he came upon a small corner market and ducked inside to grab something to eat; the rumbling of his stomach was even starting to get to him.  Stepping up to the counter to dish out his credits, he looked through the window behind the clerk and saw two armed and armored uniforms exiting the recruitment center and taking up posts outside the doors.  “That’s odd,” he murmured absently.  From what he’d seen at other Alliance locations over the years, the guards usually stood watch on the _inside_ of the building.

A middle-aged clerk with greying dark hair and a threatening paunch around his waistline paused in ringing up John’s purchase as he glanced over his shoulder.  “Ah,” he replied knowingly.  “That happens this time every day.  Changing of the guard, so to speak.”

Blinking, John’s brows narrowed as he watched.  Standard issue armor and weaponry, he saw, but that was about it.  “Pretty drastic measures, isn’t it?” he countered.

The clerk shrugged and returned to his job.  “Not really.  With the _10th Street Reds_ in the area, it’s a necessary precaution.  At least this way the public feels more at ease seeing them out there on duty.”

John accepted the bag the clerk handed over.  No one was behind him, so he decided to ask a few more questions.  “Who are the _10th Street Reds_?”

The clerk paused, his brown eyes narrowing in on John.  “You’re not from these parts, are you?” he asked.

John shook his head.  “Just visiting,” he replied.

“Ah.  Well, the _Reds_ are one of the local gangs.  Actually, more than just local -- they’ve got their fingers in most of the major cities from here to Arcturus, from what I hear.  In recent months, they’ve been trying to firm up their control over the city.”  He shrugged.  “Mostly through intimidation tactics.  Many of the shop owners I know who’ve been approached are too frightened of them to resist.”

“And yet,” John observed, “you seem quite at ease about it all.”

The clerk smiled.  “Proximity,” he said.  Nodding back towards the window, he added, “With the Alliance out in the open and just across the street, the _Reds_ don’t dare touch anything within a stone’s throw.  It was just a stroke of luck my shop is where it is.” 

John managed a half laugh, the irony of it hitting him.  “Lucky indeed,” he replied.  “Are the _Reds_ really that much of a threat?” 

The clerk nodded.  “Oh, yes.”  He sighed and shook his head.  “I probably shouldn’t have said anything,” he admitted, “but I should be safe enough.  Most of their business  in this area is subtle.  Sometimes they resort to violent activities, but that’s mostly in response to other gangs trying to move in on their territory.” 

“But not always?”

The clerk shrugged.  “Depends on the level of resistance they meet, I suppose.  All I know is that it’s been pretty safe around here.  Even if the _Reds_ aren’t foolish enough to take on the Alliance.”

He considered a sarcastic comment in response -- he’d heard of crazier things from his parents over the years -- but decided the risk of admitting his association with the Alliance wasn’t worth it.  Changing the topic, he continued, “Like I said, I’m just visiting for a while.  Looking for a friend who went missing.”

The clerk’s eyes met his quickly and John saw some sympathy there.  “You look too smart to live around these parts,” he replied by way of agreement while gesturing at his clothing.  “You clean up too well.”

John frowned and suddenly wondered if that was, at least in part, why he’d had so little success in his hunt for Jane so far.  _Do others see what this guy sees when they look at me?  Is that why I’m not getting much in the way of leads?_

“And chances are,” the clerk continued, “if your friend is from around here, they’re involved with the _Reds_ in some way.”

John shook his head immediately.  “That’s not her style,” he said firmly.

“For your sake, I hope so.  I’ve seen a lot over the years around here.  Kids joining the gangs -- the _Reds_ or one of the smaller ones -- and later regretting it.  Only thing is, once they’re in, they’re in for life.  If you get my meaning.”

John’s eyes narrowed at that warning, but he shook his head again.  He just couldn’t see Jane willingly joining up with a group like that.  Collecting his purchases, John smiled and nodded his thanks, turning to leave the store.  That was when he saw it: PART-TIME HELP WANTED.  He glanced back at the clerk, tilting his head in the direction of the sign and asked, “Are you accepting temporary help?  No references?”

The clerk sighed and rounded the counter.  “I’ve had that sign up for months,” he admitted.  “No one’s willing to risk it with the _Reds_ so close.”  Taking the sign down, he folded it in half and added, “If you want the job, it’s yours, son.  No questions asked.  I’ll pay you up front at the end of each day, too.  I need the help that badly.”

John nodded.  “That works for me,” he agreed.  _And the added credits will help_. 

The clerk smiled.  “You said you were visiting.  Do you have a place to stay?  I’ve got a small empty room above the shop you can use if you don’t.  It isn’t much, but there’s a bed and a small kitchen and it’s clean.”

“Thanks,” John said instantly.  Another small bit of relief.  “I think I’ll take you up on that.”

Reaching out a hand, the clerk added, “Name’s Mitchell.”

“Shepard,” John replied, only slightly surprised by the strength behind the grip.  “John Shepard.  When do you want me to start?”

Mitchell chuckled, but gave John a wide grin.  “Is now too soon?”

 


	4. Chapter 4

“You have no idea what happened?”

It was on the tip of Jane’s tongue to mention the only other person to handle the omni-tools she had reworked was Finch, but to do so would be taking a huge and uncalculated risk.  Besides, when it came right down to it, she was responsible for the coding work.  No one else could do it, that was why the _Reds_ had kept her on in the first place. 

“None,” she replied firmly, her eyes meeting and holding Vanek’s.  As bosses went, he was decent enough, and though Jane couldn’t say that she exactly _liked_ him, he at least gave her the chance to survive.  “The fact that the other nine ‘tools operated without any problem whatsoever is proof that I did it right.  The other one could just be a bad ‘tool, or possibly have had some sort of corrupted data in it that overrode what I loaded.  I wiped them all clean, but there’s always a chance that one could have been resistant to wiping methods.  It was one of the biggest complaints about this model.”

Only in his early twenties, Vanek presented himself as a man twice that.  He was as scrappy as they came, having worked his way up the ranks through the years until he had control of the _Reds_.  Aside from prematurely aging him, it had left its own marks as well.  How he received the jagged scar running from the outer corner of his left eye down beneath his ear and finally stopping just above his jawline was a favorite story to tell after a good mission.  In the light it was nasty enough, but Jane had seen it in dimly lit surroundings, too, and she could attest to the more threatening countenance it gave him.

He considered her words.  “Virus?”

Jane shrugged.  “Virus.  Defective hardware or software.  If I remember right, some even said it could be a manufacturing error.  Any of those reasons are possible,” she pointed out.  “Those ‘tools are ancient, Vanek.  Security on them is long outdated and the code they use is much more susceptible to hacking from outside sources than newer models.  And,” she concluded, “without having the ‘tool itself to look at, I can’t tell you one way or the other what the exact problem with it was.”  Jane knew the chances of that were a big fat zero.  The device had been destroyed along with Reese’s body when it exploded on his arm.

“I see.”  Vanek turned and began pacing around the kitchenette.  On the far side of the room and almost directly opposite from Jane stood Matthews, tall and stoic as usual, but his eyes were focused on her.  In them, Jane could see sympathy mixed with concern.  Out of the corner of her eye, over in the doorway skulking about like the annoying little germ that he was, Jane thought she saw Finch hovering, smugness oozing from him strongly enough she could practically feel it brush along her skin where she stood.  She suspected he was somehow involved with what had happened, but she had _no proof_.

“Well, the fact of the matter is that I need an additional body on the patrol tonight,” Vanek said a moment later, drawing Jane’s attention back to the more immediate issue.  “We still have a mission to complete, with or without Reese to assist.”  Behind Vanek, Jane saw Matthews’ eyes take on a horror-stricken look at this announcement.  Clearly, he understood something she didn’t.  That didn’t last for long.  “And since there is a chance for the ‘tools to be accessed while the operation is ongoing, I think having you along might be for the best.”

Jane gasped, her eyes widening in shock.  She’d been here for less than four months, had no specific training for how the _Reds_ ran their operations, and he wanted to send her out with them?  It was a suicide run, end of story.  No wonder Matthews looked sick to his stomach.  “But --”

“You have a problem with that, McIntyre?” Vanek asked, turning to give her a hard stare.

“I …,” she sputtered, pausing for a moment to search for words.  “I have no training to be on a mission like that,” she countered after a moment.  “I might be able to squeak by with a pistol, but beyond that ….”  Okay, well, she _did_ have a last resort sort of weapon, kind of, though she had no practical experience using it and no working amp.  She’d only had the L3 biotic implant installed a month before her grandmother died and no training with it whatsoever!  Hell, no one else even _knew_ about it except her grandmother and her doctor.

Vanek’s dark eyes almost glittered as they focused on her.  “You are there for your tech abilities,” he insisted, “not to participate in the raid itself.”

“But what if someone attacks me?” she protested.  “It’s not like I can wear a bloody red cross and claim neutrality from both sides!”

“Can you promise me it won’t happen again?” Vanek challenged.  “Assure me none of the others will face what Reese did?  If you can, I’ll gladly let you remain here.”

“I ….”  The flicker of movement at the doorway was more than just annoying now, but Jane couldn’t protest it while trying to figure out why everything was suddenly swinging downwards for her.  Besides, she’d promised to uphold her end of things and that promise was broken with Reese’s death.  It shouldn’t really be any surprise that Vanek would be willing to sacrifice her in return.  She would just have to find a way to survive and come back.  Somehow.  “You know I can’t make that kind of promise when I have no idea what caused the problem in the first place.”

“Exactly.  Which is why you’ll go.”  Vanek glanced over at Matthews.  “Make sure she’s geared up and ready tonight,” he instructed before turning towards the exit.

“Yes, boss,” Matthews called after him.

Once he was out of the room and out of view, Jane dropped into one of the chairs at the table.  Her elbows rested on the flat surface as she covered her face with her hands, muttering softly into them. 

“C’mon, Li’l Sis,” Matthews told her.  “Let’s go get you set up.”

Jane didn’t rise immediately.  She didn’t even look up again until she felt the weight of Matthews’ hand at her shoulder.  “Mattie,” she whispered using the nickname she’d given him upon their meeting, “why is this happening?”

His hand tightened briefly at her shoulder before releasing hold.  “I wish I could give you an answer,” he said truthfully, “but the fact is I just don’t know.  I have an idea --”

Jane scowled and stood, her eyes meeting his angrily.  “Yeah, I do too,” she spat, her eyes darting briefly to the now empty doorway, “but I can’t prove it.”

Matthews nodded.  “I could see you held back when Vanek asked,” he said.  “What happened?”

“Remember when you came in the night I was programming the ‘tools?” she asked.  Matthews nodded.  “Finch arrived before you.  He was being his usual pest self when he started touching one of the ‘tools.  He must’ve messed with it more than I realized at the time.  But … why?  What does he gain by it?  And what could he possibly have against me?”

Matthews sighed and shook his head.  “I don’t know, Li’l Sis, but watch out for him.  Finch is bad news, even Vanek knows that, and for whatever reason he seems to have you in his sights.  Now, c’mon.  Let’s get you geared up for tonight.”

Jane rose and followed him out of the room, all the while wondering how she was going to get herself out of a mess that worsened with each passing day.

 


	5. Chapter 5

For whatever reason, Mitchell trusted John enough to give him a chance, the lack of references notwithstanding.  Or, maybe the man was just as desperate as John.  Whatever the case, it was an opportunity John couldn’t afford to overlook.  A job was a job, and the influx of credits into his accounts meant he could rely less on his savings and stay longer if necessary to complete his search for Jane.  The room above the shop gave him a home base of sorts, too.  All in all, it was a great deal, better than what he’d expected when he first walked into Mitchell’s shop.

A couple of days in, John had his routine down.  Mitchell -- John never did learn if it was the man’s first or last name -- worked the shop from opening until early afternoon.  John took over operations from then until close which gave John plenty of time to conduct his reconnaissance in the surrounding neighborhoods.  Short sleep never bothered him in the past, and that came in especially handy now.  Best of all, Mitchell never showed any inclination to question John about what he did with his off time, and unless it was something pertinent to the job, John didn’t either.

At first he remained wary about his visual proximity to the Alliance, which stood literally right in front of him most days.  The staff from the recruitment center liked to use Mitchell’s shop as a quick source for meals or snacks during working hours.  John tried to avoid them.  After a week or so, it became clear that the regulars weren’t interested in him so much as they were filling their stomachs, and John relaxed his guard some, even to the point of openly chatting with some of the soldiers on occasion.  Though it would take a while before he realized it, this was his first big break.

John was stocking shelves near the doorway to the shop when he heard a vehicle pull up.  A quick glance at the markings on it alerted him of some bigwig’s arrival, but whoever it was ducked into the recruitment center before John could get a good look.  Though curious, he forced himself to limit his interest to a glance or two on the off chance the new arrival was someone who knew either him or his parents.  He remained out of sight as much as possible the rest of the day figuring if he needed to know who it was and why they were there, he’d find out one way or another soon enough.

Later that evening, just as he was readying to close up the shop for the night when two regular customers, Stewart and Winslow, darted across the street and ducked into the shop.

“Hey, man,” Winslow greeted John.  “Are you closing up, or can we grab a few things to get us through the night?”

John shook his head, but gave them each a quick grin and stepped out of their way so they could enter.  “Nick of time,” he replied.  His eyes drifted out the doorway to take a long look beyond Stewart’s shoulder.  It was then he noticed the four soldiers standing outside the doorway to the recruitment center instead of the usual two.  He thought that odd.  “Something going on over there?  Or just the usual pomp and ceremony for your visitor?” he asked. 

“You could say that,” Winslow allowed.  “Brass is here.  Some sort of inspection, or so he claims, but it wasn’t planned, that much I know.”

Stewart’s dark eyes locked onto her companion and she reprimanded Winslow with a sharp hiss and an elbow to the ribs.  “Shut it!”

“What?” Winslow countered.  “He’s got a right to know!  Hell, the whole neighborhood does!”

John blinked in surprise.  “Know what?” he asked.

Stewart sighed, but Winslow was more than willing to share what he knew.  “It’s the _Reds_ ,” he replied.  “Command said someone called in a threat to the recruitment center and they’re taking it seriously enough they’ve sent an N7 to check it out!”

John whistled softly through his teeth.  N7 meant the best of the best within Alliance circles.  “Must be a pretty big threat.”

“C’mon,” Stewart said, handing over her credit chit to pay for her purchase.  “We’ve got to get back on duty.”

Winslow handed over his credit chit to John next.  “I’m telling you,” he said more quietly as Stewart started towards the door, “better to lock up tight for the night.”

John blinked.  “Just tonight?” he asked without thinking.

Winslow shrugged as he turned away.  “Tonight.  Tomorrow.  However long it takes.”  His eyes met John’s for a moment.  “Whatever it is, man, it’s gonna be big.”  He nodded across the street.  “Four outside, six inside, another four on the other entrance, and an N7 in command for the duration.”

“Winslow!”

Though both were of equal rank according to the markings on their uniforms, John heard a hint of command in Stewart’s tone and when Winslow jumped, knew that he’d heard it too.  After their quick departure, John locked up the shop as securely as he could before retiring to his room, mentally adjusting his plans for the evening and wondering how the Alliance’s security changes might affect them.


	6. Chapter 6

If life taught Jane anything, it was that the odds always seemed to be stacked against her.  First her father.  Then her mother.  Then her grandmother.  The only one remaining out of her family was her.  And, while she’d been managing to survive on guts and instinct for weeks now, she knew it was only a matter of time before she, too, became a statistic like the rest of them.  Especially if Finch had any say in the matter.

Unless she did something to change that.

Her first mission out on Vanek’s order went well enough at the time.  The ‘tools they’d taken worked fine and there wasn’t even a hint of anything wrong with them.  Jane, too, managed to stay safe until their return to base.  Anytime anyone came back alive it was a good thing, she supposed.  But her success that night was a double edged sword.  In the end, Vanek was impressed, or at the very least satisfied with her efforts.  Of course, the flip side of it all was that he decided he wanted her along on _all_ missions after that.  Jane flinched inwardly when he made the pronouncement, but she had no compelling argument by which she could exclude herself.  She was, simply put, stuck.

Over the weeks that followed, Jane participated in a handful of missions.  At first, her only job was to make sure that the ‘tools worked like they should while the team was out.  Which she did.  But when Vanek ordered her to hack into a security system on a mission he was leading and Jane succeeded in bypassing it in under a couple of minutes, Vanek rewarded her with a promotion, bringing her within his own inner circle, which also eventually brought her into more frequent contact with Finch.

Jane did her level best to avoid Finch whenever possible.  Hiding in her room -- a private one, now, thanks to her promotion -- she spent most of her free time working on the technical gear for upcoming missions, and there was certainly plenty of it needing proper upkeep.

With the rap at her door, Jane looked up to find Matthews standing there.  “Hey,” he greeted her.

“Hey.”  She nodded, giving him permission to enter.

He took a seat on a nearby chair while Jane returned her focus on her current project.  Vanek had asked for some special upgrades to his own personal ‘tool.  After testing them out on her own first, Jane was applying them to his.  “What’s up, Mattie?” she asked.

“We’re going out tonight,” he announced without preamble.  “Vanek wants to know if you’ll have his ‘tool ready in time.”

Jane nodded absently as she finished inputting the last of the code.  She set the ‘tool aside to process the changes and spared Matthews a quick glance.  Though outwardly he looked fine, Jane sensed he still had more to say.  “What is it?”

Matthews leaned forward in his seat, arms resting on his legs and his hands lacing together.  “Finch is going with us.” 

Jane sighed, head dropping as she lifted a hand to rub at the back of her neck.  “It was bound to happen sometime,” she muttered.

“He was also rather vocal in his protests against you coming along,” Matthews added.

“Not surprising.”  Jane lifted her head to meet his eyes.  If she was honest with herself, Jane wouldn’t mind staying behind because of this.  Based on Mattie’s look right now, however, she doubted Vanek felt the same.  Again, she sensed he had more to tell.  “What?”

Matthews remained silent for a moment.  “Li'l Sis …” 

His voice trailed off and Jane could both see and hear more than just the normal amount of concern there.  Something bothered him enough that he struggled to tell her.  “Mattie?”

His shoulders moved up and down quickly, and she heard him sigh at the same time.  “I just have a bad feeling about this is all,” he finally told her.  “I can’t tell you why -- it’s just a … a sense, I guess.  A feeling.  Just watch out for Finch.  He’s gunning for you for some reason.”

Reaching out, Jane rested a hand on Matthews’ arm and squeezed gently, giving him an understanding smile.  He reminded her of John at times, and though she couldn’t ever tell him that, she knew it and that was the important thing.  He helped her find a sense of belonging that she hadn’t felt since her mother died.  “I know,” she replied, “and I’ll be on my guard.  I promise.  Are you going too?”  While he went along on most missions, Jane had been on a few without him.  If Finch was going, though, she’d much rather have Matthews at her back.

He nodded.  “Yeah.  Vanek’s calling out two squads for tonight.  He’s leading the first, Millston the second.”  He paused a moment then concluded, “It’s gonna be a big one, Li'l Sis.”

Jane waited to see if Matthews would add more.  While she may be part of Vanek’s inner circle, the man’s paranoia kept everyone in the dark about the intended target, nor did he give them a detailed mission plan until the very last moment.  Matthews was often considered Vanek’s second in command and next in line if anything ever happened to him.  However, despite the closeness she shared with Mattie, she knew he withheld information from her at times.  When the silence continued, she realized this was one of those times.  “Okay.  I’ll be ready.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

John’s original plan for the evening was to head out into the neighborhood and follow up on some potential leads he’d come across the day before -- someone whose description was close enough to Jane’s was seen at a nightclub less than a half mile away, and another sighting hinted she was frequenting a coffee shop about two blocks east.  But after his interaction with Stewart and Winslow, he scrapped that idea.  The increase in security, the arrival of an N7 -- everything suggested that something big was in the works, and without better intel, John couldn’t risk getting caught up in the middle of it.  At the worst, he could become a victim, or even viewed as a participant himself.  The last thing he wanted or needed was word getting back to his parents that he was mixed up in some gang activity back on Earth.  It would do little to help with his future plans of joining the Alliance.  But above all of that, if he inadvertently got mixed up in this, it would keep him from his original goal of finding Jane, and that he wasn’t about to let happen.

With that in mind, John pulled the one chair in his room over by the window where he could watch the street below.  Even if he wasn’t going out in it, he kept an eye on things from above if they moved his direction, which sounded quite possible.  There was always the chance that something could come out of it that might help him find Jane.  Hanging from the rod above the window was a curtain -- more like an old sheet really -- that provided a certain level of obscurity to anyone looking up from outside, and that suited John just fine.  The windows in his room were odd, situated at the corner of the building, but they gave him a decent view of the street that ran between Mitchell’s shop and the recruitment center as well as the smaller cross street coming up the other side into it. 

John settled in for the long haul, content to simply wait and watch; see if there was any credibility to Winslow’s claims and the necessity for an N7.  For several hours, all was calm and quiet.  He cracked one window just enough so he could catch the sounds from the street below, but kept it low enough to block out most of the cold and wind.  London in the middle of March wasn’t the warmest of places, he’d discovered. 

It wasn’t until after midnight that something alerted John to a change.  A hint of a sound -- he’d always had good hearing, Jane used to tease him that he could hear her sneeze in her room all the way across the ship from his parents’ quarters -- had him leaning forward, his attention suddenly on high alert.  In a matter of moments, he thought he caught a flicker of movement near the edges of the shadows on the far side of the street, but he couldn’t be certain.  There was just enough distance between his position and there that it could simply be the wind buffering against the lamppost and causing the light to waver rather than an actual shape moving.  But the shuffling sound of booted feet along pavement  that followed reminded him of his father’s squad when they trained back on the _Einstein_ , and it didn’t take long before John’s doubts that someone was down there were completely gone.  _Who_ they were was another story.  They could be the _Reds_ as Winslow warned.  It could just as easily be someone heading home from work -- there was a Tube stop a couple blocks south.  There were even a few personal vehicles parked along the street and it could be one of the locals just trying to make it to their skycar. 

John leaned back from the window and raised his arms to stretch.  Going by the sound alone, he guessed there were at the very minimum two or three people down there.  Not much to go on, though he kept his gaze on the area. 

And was rewarded with something unexpected.

Jumping to his feet, John ran down the back stairs and out the door almost before full comprehension hit him, and definitely before he gave thought to any sort of plan of action.  A gust of wind had hit the lamppost and some of the limited light shifted to reflect off burnished coppery strands of hair he instantly recognized.  _Jane!_   His gut instinct screamed recognition, or maybe it was just hope springing eternal inside him.  He’d been here for weeks now, and was desperate for a break.  Basing his reaction off just a flicker of color that his brain told him was Jane’s unique shade of red was perhaps a stupid move, but he really couldn’t stop himself.

That she appeared to be working with the _10th Street Reds_ was a bit worrisome, however.  If that was the case … then again, the how or when of that didn’t matter so much just now; if indeed it _was_ her, he had to warn her of what was waiting up ahead and get her the hell out of harm’s way.

Unless …  What if she didn’t want to?  He shook the doubt away.  No.  No matter what, he couldn’t let this play out, not with her in the middle of it.  Even if this was the life she chose, he wouldn’t let her throw herself into the line of fire of an N7. He just couldn’t.

Exiting the building, John discovered the group Jane was with was only about a half block ahead of him.  He did his best to stick to the sides of the buildings he moved as silently as possible -- the lessons from his parents and other military family friends came to mind in that moment.  Twice, he thought he might have been spotted and stopped, sidling up against the wall of a building the first time and ducking around the corner a second.  He waited patiently, keeping his eyes on the group even when one of them looked over in his direction for a long, intense moment.  He moved up as close as he dared after that, following them into the alleyway behind a small group of buildings to the left of Mitchell’s shop.  He still felt exposed, but there wasn’t much else he could do.  But at least now he could hear them more clearly.

“Four on duty at the door,” the largest of the figures reported.  Jane -- John was absolutely _certain_ it was her now that he could just catch the familiar pattern of freckles that spread from cheek to cheek and across the bridge of her nose -- stood beside him.  There was a hint of a crease on her forehead and he wondered what she was thinking.  That was her _I’m totally focused_ look.  He recognized it from the months they’d spent in classes together aboard ship. 

Still, it was difficult for him to wrap his head around how and why she associated herself with this or any gang.  Based on the limited information Winslow provided, and other bits and pieces John heard during his search for her, the _Reds_ were one of the most notorious gangs out there.  They’d taken out most of their adversaries already, but if this was a new trend, they appeared to be targeting the Alliance.  Why? 

John and Jane had both talked it over for a couple of years before their separation -- they were going to enlist once they were old enough.  End of story.  Neither planned to let anything get between them and a military career.  However, getting involved in something like this would end that for her before it even got started.  It just didn’t make any sense.

“There’ll be more inside plus the other door,” a gravely and unfamiliar voice said.  John had no idea who it was that had spoken, but from the way the rest of the group all looked over at him, it wasn’t too difficult to figure out he was their leader.  “We wait for Millston to get into place.  His group will provide distraction at the rear entrance while we break through here.  But we only move in once the distraction is started.”

“Distraction isn’t going to pull them away from this door.  If anything, it will have them sending reinforcements,” Jane replied.

It was odd to hear her voice again after so many months apart.  She sounded tired.   Stressed.  Given everything she’d been through in the past year and a half, John supposed it wasn’t so much of a surprise, but he was used to her being more lively. 

“I have a plan in place for that, too.”

“You have a plan for everything, don’t you Vanek?” one of the others countered.

John carefully crept a bit closer, remaining crouched behind the large community garbage bin.  He froze the instant he caught a movement.  This ultimately pulled his eyes over to find a pair of emerald green eyes widening in shock and surprise as they identified him.  _Oops_.

“McIntyre - you, Matthews, and Chin stay here and wait for my signal.  Gordon, Chavez, and I will get into place on the other end of the block.  When I give the signal, we move in from both sides.  Together.”  He used his hands to emphasize the tactics in the air before him.  Afterwards, he paused for a minute and gave Jane a hard stare.  “Problem, McIntyre?”

“You make this sound so easy,” John heard her reply instantly, her eyes pulling from him and focusing on Vanek.  “This is the Alliance -- it _can’t_ be _that_ easy!  I’m telling you, this plan smells like a set up!”

The large guy next to her nodded, John observed.  “Boss, you sure Finch’s intel was on the level?”

Vanek nodded.  “Positive.  And I have an added advantage,” he told them.  “One of the Alliance soldiers inside will help us out.  A former _Red_ who remembers where their true loyalties lie.”

John frowned.  _A traitor?  Inside?_  Alliance vetting procedures were pretty thorough, from all he’d read and heard.  Then again, maybe it was someone who was flipping their previous ties, setting and baiting the trap like the larger guy had suggested.  An Alliance trap.  Complete with N7 and ….

A loud burst of gunfire broke the night air and had everyone’s heads turning to look south.  Vanek signaled his squad to follow him as he turned away.  “Wait for my signal,” he reminded them.

John was considering his next move -- he _had_ to get Jane out of there _now!_ \-- when he heard her speak again. 

“Mattie,” she said quietly but still loud enough for him to catch, “this doesn’t feel right!”

“We’ve got no choice, Li'l Sis,” Mattie replied.  John saw the beefy man place a large hand upon Jane’s small shoulder and squeeze reassuringly.  There was an unexpected gentleness in the movement.  “Vanek is running this show.”

“And Finch is going to get us all killed!  You told me to watch out for him, to not trust him, right?”  John watched the man’s shoulders sag a little as he sighed.  “Do _you_ trust him?”

“I don’t have to.  Vanek does for this mission, and I trust Vanek.”

His words quickly ended Jane’s protests and John watched as she, Mattie, and Chin shuffled over to the side of the building to wait.  Conveniently, it placed the garbage bin firmly between them and his position. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

From the minute Jane was given the details on their intended target for tonight, she’d been on edge and searching for a way out.

_The Alliance Recruitment Center!_

She had no idea why -- she wasn’t privy to _those_ sorts of details -- but this one appeared to be important to Vanek.  She suspected he was trying to find a way to either prove Finch’s ineptness or validate his presence, because if there was one thing Jane was certain of, Finch was behind the idea. 

When Jane first came into contact with Mattie, she wasn’t completely ignorant about the _Reds_ and their types of activities.  She’d heard enough rumors about the gang at school to chase away any innocence she might have had.  When Mattie found her, Jane hadn’t realized he was one of them. However, by the time their discussion moved around to him offering her a place to live in return for her help, she’d had a pretty good idea.

Caught up in the thick of things now, Jane could see that something had changed along the way and she’d missed it.  Shaking down and intimidating neighborhoods and shops were one thing -- not that she liked targeting innocents any better, but she had no say in that.  On the grand scale of things, those were relatively minor infractions.  But taking on the Alliance?  That was something altogether different!  Vanek was an arrogant and cocky bastard to be sure.  But this?  This was just _asking_ for all kinds of trouble.  Like the kind that could end up with them being incarcerated for the rest of their lives afterwards.  Or worse.  Alliance soldiers were trained to shoot to kill, after all.

But Jane couldn’t say anything.  For starters, she still had no real weight or pull in the _Reds_.  Second, she’d never mentioned her past connection to the Alliance to any of them.  To do so now would cause all kinds of problems she didn’t need on top of everything else.  Finch, no doubt, would have a field day with it if she did.  Vanek, she was certain, would quickly find a way to use it to his advantage like he had her technical skills.  And Mattie?  God alone knew what he would think.  He’d be hurt, maybe?  Feel betrayed?  Or, worse, feel absolutely nothing?  Jane wasn’t sure what the worst end of that stick would be where he was concerned.  What she _did_ know was that she was now stuck between a gigantic rock and a very, very hard place.

_John, I should have listened and waited for you!_

If she’d been alone in the privacy of her room, she would have laughed hysterically at just how things had spiralled downhill for her of late.  Hindsight really was twenty-twenty.  At the time, though, she’d been too lost and angry to consider the full ramifications of her decision.  Her grandmother had been a good, kind woman, opening her home without too many reservations for a suddenly orphaned teenager.  It had been awkward for the pair at first -- neither had known the other well before Jane moved in, but time had brought them both around to something of a mutual respect and acceptance of one another, if nothing else.  Losing her grandmother and finding herself left behind for the third time in eight years hit Jane so hard that she was surprised Mattie had been able to reach her when he found her.

But, reach her he did, and provided her with a lifeline of sorts.  Only now was Jane finally realizing at what cost.

As they moved through the city streets quickly and quietly, like always, Jane focused inward, searching for a way to extricate herself from the growing predicament she found herself in rather than preparing herself for the mission ahead.  There had to be a way to get out of it …

As Mattie told her, Vanek doubled up on teams for the mission.  Mattie, Vanek, Gordon, Chin, Chavez and Jane made up one group, while Millston, Foster, Willette, Puckett, Sinclair, Ramirez and, thankfully, Finch made up the other.  Vanek’s squad was designated for the western approach.  Millston’s squad was going to pose the distraction coming from the south side.  Jane had no idea what their overall objective was for this attack, only that she was to get them past any security measures.

“Are you kidding me?” Jane finally spoke up as they neared the building and the reality of it all hit her hard in the face.  “My skills aren’t near good enough to hack past Alliance code!”

Vanek’s smile projected his grim determination, and his eyes surveyed her critically for a long moment.  “Thought you were good, McIntyre?” he taunted.

Jane scowled.  It didn’t take a genius or even a shrink to figure out what Vanek was trying to do to her, the way he was talking now.  “I _AM_ good,” she insisted, “but not better than the Alliance!”

Vanek chuckled, but he sounded unconcerned by her protests leaving her to wonder, _That’s good … isn’t it?_   The knowing look he gave her before turning away seemed to reinforce that idea, too.

Still scowling, she’d been turning away from Vanek when a movement caught her eye.  She couldn’t have said at first exactly what it was, most likely just a shift in the shadows, but she noticed it.  It took a half second longer to recognize that it was a human rather than one of the neighborhood dogs or cats that prowled at all hours.  Her eyes rose automatically, trailing what she thought was the edge of a form hiding there.  When a gust of wind burst down the street, shaking the nearby street light so that its beam went wild, as well as causing more than one of the group to shiver, Jane’s eyes widened in disbelief.  The light flashed over the hidden form briefly, but recognition was instantaneous for her.  Familiar broad shoulders, dark hair, blue eyes, the small pale mark on his chin where she’d caught him with the edge of her ring when they’d been practicing martial arts together.  _John!_   Shock hit her face on, but Vanek was conversing with Mattie and Chin and didn’t notice.  Reacting quickly, Jane hid any other response to the realization that John had kept his promise to come looking for her, she turned back to the job at hand.  She had to act as if things were normal for now.

She was never so relieved when Vanek and his team left the area.  After her brief conversation with Mattie, she followed him and Chin over to the side of the building which, thankfully, secured John in his hiding place just so long as he stayed there.  It wouldn’t matter much longer, anyway.  Vanek would soon be in position and they would begin moving forward, and Jane would have to go with them.  If she tried to duck out of sight now, they would notice and who knew what they’d do if they thought she’d rabbited.  If she waited until they were inside, maybe things would turn chaotic enough where she’d find an opportunity to slip out of sight.

Vanek’s signal came about two minutes later and Jane moved forward with them.  She wasn’t expected to participate in the actual fighting -- that was what the others were there for -- but she was needed to get them inside.  Positioning herself so that Mattie had her back while helping the others, she moved in close to the doors, pulling up her ‘tool as she crouched beside the lock.  It took a couple of tries and five anxiety-ridden minutes plus a string of muttered curses beneath her breath and even one quick prayer to whatever god might be listening before the lock was bypassed, but once it was, Jane stepped to the side and allowed everyone else to move inside first.  Taking her place behind them, she followed, sparing only a second for a brief look back over her shoulder while sending a silent prayer in hope that he could somehow help get her out of this mess she’d gotten herself into.

 

~ n ~

 

John flinched as he watched the battle between the _Reds_ and the Alliance soldiers go down.  At first it appeared to be an even match -- four trained soldiers up against five streetwise gang members.  But then the _Reds_ pulled out all the stops.  There wasn’t much the soldiers could do in response against the hidden and unexpected metal blades up close and personal.  They were down before John could shout any kind of warning, not that it would have done any good  It left him feeling as helpless and as if he’d taken a hard punch to his gut.  He knew there was nothing he could do, but that didn’t stop the wave of nausea churning in his stomach.  

He scanned the area before him, resigning himself to what happened, until he spotted Jane on the far side crouched next to the door.  Despite her part in all of this -- and thankfully it wasn’t a part in the actual killing of anyone - she appeared to be relatively safe.  He watched her struggle to bypass the locking mechanisms, a fierce and odd sense of pride building in his chest.  Maybe it was just admiration -- _how many times had the two of them attempted to do the same in order to get into areas of the ship they were told they couldn’t_ \-- but there was pride there too.  And respect.  She’d always been just a little bit better at hacking code and systems than he was.

The doors slid open quietly and the _Reds_ hurried inside, but John didn’t miss the almost worried look Jane cast back in his direction before she followed after them.  Taking a chance, he moved out where she could see him, albeit briefly when she turned back to follow after the others.  Left standing alone, John took a deep breath and made a conscious decision to follow through with his promise to Jane come hell or high water.  If it kept him from enlisting, so be it.  His promise to her was more important. 

Carefully, John crept past the motionless bodies of the downed soldiers and traced Jane’s steps.  He paused at the door, tempted to grab one of the guns the soldiers no longer needed.  Still, if by some chance he was caught he didn’t want to be accused of being a part of the _Reds_.  That could lead to a mess he would never be able to extricate himself or Jane from, especially since the Alliance’s own people had been the victims.  Instead, he remained unarmed and followed as close as he dared, keeping Jane in his sights as much as possible while looking for an opportunity to get her out.

That, he discovered a few minutes later, was quite literally just around the next corner.

One of the _Reds_ \-- Vanek, John now recognized -- gestured the others around the corner with a hurried motion of his arm.  Awkwardly, John ducked up against the side of the wall, partly in the shadows, and hoped that the gang leader didn’t see him.  If there was anything John was taking out of this situation, it was that he preferred up front, in your face types of battle rather than sneaking around.  Aside from the fact he was no good at it -- far too tall for starters -- he really didn’t have the patience for it.  Still, his goal here was to get Jane out safely, and if that meant trying this, he’d do it. 

“Hurry it up, McIntyre!”

John didn’t hear a response from Jane and peeked around the corner to see her moving forward.  Vanek must have lost his patience or something, John noticed, because he gave Jane a disgruntled look and turned away without waiting for Jane to catch up.  A half second later, that gave John his chance when that left her in the hall with him.  Alone.

“Jane, wait!” John called out.

She hesitated, her step pausing mid-stride.  Head turning, she spotted him and John caught a quick hint of a smile on her lips.  John moved towards her even as she darted a quick look down the hall after Vanek, but he didn’t give her a chance to get away.  Instead, he launched himself at her, grasping her around the waist and pulling her to the floor with him on the other side of the doorway. 

“John, what are you --?!”

Jane’s words were cut off by a loud blast and the shaking of the walls around them.  Sitting up, John glanced around them and spotted an area that provided some semblance of safety.  Scrambling to his feet, he pulled her up after him and led her through the smoke, debris, and behind a badly pockmarked table that had taken earlier damage.  Gunfire or damage from another blast he didn’t know, the table had clearly seen better days, but at least it gave them something to shelter behind.  Jane landed hard beside him, awkwardly, too.  John couldn’t stop the elbow that connected with his ribs.  Grunting, he hissed in pain.

Initial irritation gave way a moment later and Jane sagged heavily against him, a weak surge of relief catching her off guard as she looked up into his familiar face.  It was a heady feeling, to say the least, and for the first time in weeks, and despite their current predicament, she could honestly say that she felt … good.  “You came,” she breathed after a long minute of simply staring at him and doing nothing but giving him a dumb smile.

John returned the hug.  “I told you I would,” he murmured near her ear.  The sounds of fighting were still echoing from the hall up ahead of them.

Jane’s laugh sounded slightly strangled, but she managed a quick nod for him.  “That you did,” she conceded.  Peeking above the edge of the desk, her eyes darted around the area to evaluate the situation.  “The question is, now what?”

“Now we get you the hell out of here,” he replied.  He, too, shifted so he could get a better look at the situation.  “I’ve got a place we can get to and hide out for a couple of days until this all dies down.  Then we can catch a ship back to --”

“Dies down?”  Jane gave him a look of incredulity.  “I think you misunderstand, John.  This is something much bigger than a gang trying to get control over territory.  This isn’t going to die down anytime soon.”

John frowned.  “What do you mean?”

She shrugged.  “I don’t know exactly,” she admitted.  “But, whatever the reason for this attack, the _Reds_ don’t intend to lie down quietly and fade into the background after it’s over.  Vanek didn’t give me a full briefing -- neither did Mattie, come to think of it -- so I have no idea what their objective is.  What I _do_ know from the way they’ve talked about it is it’s big and they see it as a way to expand their influence.”

“I doubt it’ll matter much,” John told her by way of a reply.  “The Alliance was alerted that something was going to happen and that the _Reds_ are involved.  I don’t think they’ll be successful.”  He hoped he sounded reassuring … and that the remaining Alliance soldiers inside were better prepared than those at the entrance they’d come in through.

Jane’s eyes widened.  “They were?  How?” she breathed in astonishment.  “Who?  Anyone from within the _Reds_ would be risking their lives by doing such a thing!  Although,” she added as an afterthought, “Vanek hinted that he had a connection within the Alliance.  A former _Red_ who was still loyal to them.  Hmm.  But, if the Alliance knows the _Reds_ are involved …”

John shrugged.  “I have no information on who knows what detail or how they got it.  All I know for certain is that the Alliance is ready and was expecting them,” he said.  “Extra guards, inside and out, and they even brought in an N7.  I’d say that suggest they took the warning seriously.”

There was another loud blast down the hall from them and both glanced in that direction.  “Sounds like our cue to get out of here,” John observed.

But Jane reached out and grabbed his arm as he started to move.  “John, wait.  We can’t just leave!”

He frowned.  “What do you mean?  If we stick around, Alliance personnel will think we’re part of the _Reds_.”

“And if we leave without alerting them, we are just as guilty as the _Reds_ who are attacking,” she countered.

John flinched at another explosion, this a bit more distant than the last.  “I kinda think they know by now.”

Jane glared at him.  “John!”

Sighing, John didn’t stop the eye roll that followed.  Only after her elbow made contact with his ribs again -- this time on purpose -- he grumbled, “Fine, fine.  But if we end up in the hospital because of this, _you_ are the one who’ll be explaining why to my mother!” 

Jane choked on a laugh that John could see twinkling in her eyes, but she nodded.  “Deal.”

He should have known better, he realized.  Jane practically lived to take him up on his dares.  “You know,” he muttered in a final try as they rose to their feet, “they could just shoot us on sight and we won’t even get the chance to tell them anything -- even if we _knew_ something, which we don’t, not really, and definitely not more than what they already know by now.”  But he followed after her down the hall in the direction of the fighting.  As they neared the intersection of hallways, the sounds became louder and more distinguishable. 

Jane gnawed on the corner of her lip as she peeked around the corner.  She thought she could hear Mattie’s voice, knew she heard Vanek’s irritated shouts, and behind all of it, she swore she could hear Finch.  That caused a frown.  _What the hell is he doing inside?_ she wondered.  _He’s supposed to be outside with the distraction team_. 

John took a quick look around the corner and surveyed the situation.  He spotted two Alliance soldiers kneeling behind a storage crate on the left side of the hall.  Across the other side, he spotted one more.  Only one was something of a familiar face to him.  He’d been in Mitchell’s shop a few times, but John didn’t know the man’s name.  He still couldn’t help but think they were taking too much of a risk of misidentification under current conditions.

Another loud blast echoed down the hall in their direction and John pulled Jane back out of the way quickly.  It hadn’t been in the hall ahead of them, but down the branch to the left at the far end.  Glancing around the edge of the wall again, he noticed the pair of soldiers behind the crate were now moving towards the sound. 

“That sounded like Willette’s devices,” Jane murmured.  “Vanek must be making progress.  He uses those to bypass locks I can’t hack for him.”

The one remaining soldier began moving and John knew this might be their only chance.  Stepping around the corner, he whistled loudly to catch the man’s attention, before leading Jane forward.

The soldier gave them a look of disbelief as he glanced at them then back down the hall.  “What the -- What are you two doing here?” he demanded in irritation.  “You’ve picked a hell of a time to come and enlist!”

Jane flinched and ducked lower when a burst of gunfire sounded fairly close by.  “We aren’t here to enlist -- we’re here to warn you,” she shouted over at him.  “The _10th Street Reds_ are behind this attack.”

The soldier grunted, scrambling across to kneel beside them.  Though his attention was focused over the top of the crate and down the hall, he nodded.  “Yeah, we know,” he said.  “Command sent an N7 to deal with it.”

Another loud boom shook the walls beside them and sent dust, dirt and debris falling around them, but whether it was simply shaken from the ceiling tiles or blown down the hall from the explosion itself was difficult to tell.  A cloud of smoke and dust followed almost immediately and left the three coughing to clear their lungs.  A raised voice ordering the _Reds_ to surrender came next, followed quickly by shouts of protest and denial, gave way to another quick exchange of gunfire.  Rising over the edge of the crate, the soldier told John and Jane to, “Stay down!” before sending off a burst from his own weapon.

Jane turned towards John, huddling close to him and lifting her head near his ear so he could hear her, saying, “Maybe you were right!” 

Time fell to a near standstill for a short while, but began to speed back up once it became clear that the threat was finally neutralized.  The soldier with them rose to his feet and then gestured for them to get up.  “I think you should talk to the Lieutenant Commander,” he told them.  He reached for his comm and turned away from them to speak into it. 

Jane looked up at John.  “I’m sorry if this was more than you bargained for,” she told him.

John shrugged.  “I came after you,” he reminded her.  “I made my choice.  Leaving you to deal with this by yourself isn’t part of that.”

“And if it ruins a chance at a career in the Alliance for you?” she asked.  “You’re old enough to enlist, John, and I know you’ve been looking forward to it.”

“I doubt it’ll come to that, but if it does, I’ll figure something out,” he replied.

“What’s your name?” the soldier called over, his eyes on John. 

“Shepard,” John replied.  “And she’s McIntyre.”

The soldier turned away again and Jane’s brow lifted up at John.  “What?” he countered.  “We’re in this together.”

“I _can_ speak for myself, you know,” she pointed out. 

“Okay, you two, come with me,” the soldier broke in.  He motioned them to follow behind him.  “The situation is secure enough now and the LC wants to talk with you both.”

They followed him down the hall, eyeing the obvious signs of battle that grew increasingly worse the further they went.  Mostly debris, they did pass a couple of bodies along the way, all of whom Jane recognized.  She felt quick tears prick at her eyes when she spotted Mattie’s still form laying off to the side, but other than that, she had no reaction.  Their escort brought them around a corner and down another hall to their right before coming to a halt before two heavily secured doors.  Two additional soldiers stood there, at attention, while a third talked to another man dressed in dark armor with red and white stripes on one arm and an N7 logo emblazoned across one side of his chest.  “Lieutenant Commander Anderson?” 

Their escort stepped over to speak with the officer, but Jane and John remained where they were.  Jane’s eyes drifted to another body across the way, partially covered.  Despite this, she could make out who it was by the boots sticking out from beneath the covering.  _Vanek_.  She found little vindication in the realization that her concerns about this attack had been right.

“I understand you two have some knowledge of what happened here?”  The voice was deep and clearly had the air of command behind it, but there was also a hint of friendliness. 

Jane felt John straighten just a little beside her and she glanced up at the man.  “Yes, sir,” she replied, “though it looks as if you already knew.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that,” he replied.  He turned for a moment to give orders to the other soldiers nearby, then turned back to them and gestured to a nearby set of doors.  “Let’s go in here,” he said. 

They entered what looked to be a small office and the doors closed behind them.  Once inside, Anderson dropped into a chair and indicated they should follow suit.  “Sounds like you both have had an eventful evening,” he commented mildly, setting his weapon aside as he settled into his seat.  “I sure hope you can help fill in some of the details.”

Jane looked over at John who gave her a nod of encouragement.  “I’m not so sure we can, sir,” she finally replied as her eyes found his. “You appear to have already known what to expect.”

Anderson chuckled.  “Well, that we did.  The Alliance got an anonymous tip,” he explained.  Reaching for his wrist, John and Jane both saw him pull up his omnitool and press a button.  A moment later, through a  rough and scratchy connection, they heard a voice warning the receiver at the other end of an impending attack upon the recruitment center. 

Jane blinked, her breath catching softly in recognition.  “That … I know that voice!” she exclaimed in shock before a scowl dropped into place.  “That son of a -- he sold us out!  I _KNEW_ he was up to no good!”

“Can you give me a name?”

She nodded.  “He goes by Finch,” she said.  “He’s been trying to work his way into Vanek’s good graces and the organization’s command structure for months now, long before I got there.”  She paused and frowned, the images of Mattie’s and Vanek’s bodies coming back to mind.  While she couldn’t raise much in the way of sympathy for what happened to them, she did feel some small amount of remorse.  They _had_ given her a place to stay, after all, even if they used her for their own gain.  “So … you’re saying he called this in and tipped you off about their plans?”

Anderson nodded.  “If Finch is the voice, yes.”

“Shit!”  Sighing, Jane covered her face with her hands for a moment, taking in the import of that observation.  “I bet Vanek wouldn’t let him in as close as Finch wanted,” she finally murmured.  “He isn’t known for his patience.  God only knows what’ll happen now he’s managed to get Vanek and his elite removed for good.”

“You think he set this up to take out the leadership of the _Reds_?” John asked.

Jane shrugged.  “I told you, I don’t know what their main goal here was ... a recruitment center?  What could they have here that the _Reds_ could want or need?  But I’ve no doubt Finch was hoping for that much, at least.”  She paused, her head tilting as she thought back.  “In fact, he made sure Vanek and his highest ranking lieutenants were in on this mission.”  She shuddered.  “I wouldn’t put it past him to have it set up for someone else to take the fall for it, too.”  Another shudder as realization hit her full in the face.  _Probably would have been me had I gone back_.  “Shit!”

“Internal gang politics?” Anderson mused.  “Wouldn’t be the first time, I suppose.  Or the first time they pulled the Alliance into the middle of things.  And you’re right, of course.  There isn’t really much here they could want.  Mostly just data on the recruits we process.”  He leaned forward, eyes focused intently upon Jane.  “What part did you have to play in all of this?”

Jane swallowed tightly, dread finally catching up to her.  “I … erm ….”

John, quiet for the most part until this point, leaned forward and spoke for her.  His shoulder brushed against hers reassuringly as he moved.  “Sir, Jane is a victim in all of this, I can assure you.”

Anderson’s brow lifted.  “Is that so?”  He paused for a moment, then looked at John and asked, “Shepard, is it?  Any relation to Hannah and Thomas Shepard?”

John nodded.  “My parents,” he replied.  It didn’t surprise him that other Alliance personnel would know his parents, but an N7?  That was something different.

Anderson’s lips tilted slightly into a smile.  “I thought so.  Your involvement here is something along the lines of what I’d expect from your father, you know?”

John grinned.  That didn’t surprise him either given some of his mother’s private complaints over the years.  “Thank you, sir.”

“And you?” Anderson continued, his attention back on Jane. 

“I … my parents are dead, sir,” she managed.  “Dad during N7 training when I was eight, and mom a year or so ago on Mindoir.”  She did her best to avoid the ache that suddenly appeared in her chest at the memories that brought up.  “I was sent to Earth to live with my grandmother, but she died suddenly some months back and I ended up wandering the streets for a while until Mattie -- one of the _Reds_ \-- found me.  He took me in and gave me a home with them.  I’d heard of them, but I didn’t really have a clue who they were until later.”  She sighed, her eyes drifting to meet John’s.  “That’s where I was until John found me.”

“McIntyre?”  Anderson looked thoughtful for a moment.  “Steven McIntyre?”

Jane blinked, but nodded.  “Yes.”

Anderson’s smile softened into something more sorrowful.  “I knew your dad,” he said quietly.  “He was one of the good ones at ICT.  He and I were going through about the same time.  Damned shame what happened to him, and a big loss for the Alliance.”

Where Jane thought the ache might blossom into something more painful, she was somewhat surprised that Anderson’s words actually helped ease it.  “You … you knew my dad?” she breathed. 

Anderson nodded.  Shifting a little, he folded his hands together in front of him before continuing.  “Which is why I am going to go out on a limb for you and make the following suggestion.  You said that young Shepard came to London to find you, correct?”  Jane nodded.  “I can assume it’s safe to say your association with the _Reds_ is now at an end?”  Again, Jane nodded.  “Do you have any idea if this Finch person knows if you survived?”

“I ….”  Jane shuddered as she thought back to the voice she’d heard in the hall earlier.  “I have no idea,” she replied honestly.  “And I’m not sure I want to face him after what happened anyway, especially if he was setting me up to be the scapegoat.”

Anderson nodded and glanced over at John.  “If I recall correctly, your parents told me you were going to enlist on your eighteenth birthday?”

John nodded.  “Yes, sir, that’s the plan.”

To Jane, he then asked, “Do you wish to do enlist as well?”

Jane blinked.  Stunned, she could only nod at first.  “But … I -- I thought …  I mean, this all …”  She gestured towards the hall they’d retreated from.  “Will they even take me after all this?”

Anderson chuckled softly.  “Remember that limb I mentioned?” he pointed out.  “If you are seriously interested in enlisting like your parents did, I will recommend the Alliance accept you.  You _did_ openly try to warn us of what was happening, after all.  And since the two of you are in agreement, I think the smart thing might be to process you both immediately,” he explained.  “We get you both out of civilian life and into the safety of the Alliance.”

Jane gasped softly.  “But --”

“But?”

“But, I’m only seventeen!” she protested.  “I’m not eligible for another eight months!”

Anderson chuckled again and shook his head.  “It’s a long limb, McIntyre.  Let me handle that.”   He rose to his feet and moved behind the desk, reaching for a datapad.  Taking a seat again, he began reading aloud, and it was then that John and Jane both realized that he was filling out their enlistment paperwork. 

“And … and if I get challenged on my birthdate in the future?” Jane asked, concern written across her features.  “What then?”

Anderson winked at her.  “A clerical error made in the stress-filled aftermath of battle,” he offered.  “By then it won’t matter, though I doubt it will ever come to light at all.”

“I can’t believe I am doing this,” she muttered even as she signed her name to the documents a short while later.

“It isn’t like you didn’t plan to do this in a few months anyway,” John pointed out as he signed his own.  “It’s just a little early is all.”

“It’s lying,” she countered in frustration.

“Tactical maneuvering,” Anderson offered.  “To put it plain and simple, it’s a little white lie in order to keep you safe from harm.  It won’t hurt anyone, and no one will even know about it if no one in this room says anything.  Agreed?”

Jane looked between him and John for a long minute, but finally nodded.  “Agreed.”

“Good.  And besides,” Anderson added with a wink at her, his lips curving up into a smile, “from what I hear, your hacking skills will be an asset to the Alliance.”

Jane blinked and froze.  “My hacking skills?” she echoed.

He nodded and took the signed pad from John.  “I have it on good authority that the security system on the doors to this place are near impenetrable by civilians.”

John started laughing and Jane felt a blush heat her cheeks.  “I’m … I’m not just any civilian, sir,” she told him.  “I grew up on Alliance ships with my parents.”

“I figured as much.”  He gave them both an amused look.  “I’ve heard stories about that, too.”  Rising, Anderson waited for them to follow suit.  “We need to get you both someplace secure until you can ship out,” he told them next. 

“Sir, I need to go and grab a few things from the place where I was staying,” John told him.

“Where?”

“Across the street, actually.”  John replied.  “I didn’t plan on being this close, sir.  Opportunity sort of just … fell into my lap.”

Anderson nodded and pressed his comm to call one of the soldiers in.  “Escort Shepard here across the street,” he ordered.  “Once he has his things, escort him back here.”  The soldier saluted and led John away. 

“And me, sir?” Jane asked quietly.

Anderson regarded her.  “Did you leave anything behind?”

Jane thought about it.  She didn’t have much when she left her grandmother’s house.  A pack with some clothing, a couple of books and a picture of her parents, her omni-tool which she still had now.  Shaking her head, she decided the risk of returning wasn’t worth the few items that were left behind.  “Nothing that can’t be replaced,” she replied. 

“Good.”  Anderson led Jane out into the hall and away from the mess that was still in process of being cleared.  “Then why don’t you and I have a little more in-depth chat,” he suggested. 

They entered the mess area and almost immediately, Jane heard her stomach rumble in response to her proximity to food.  Anderson’s good natured laughter eased her embarrassment.  “About?” she asked.

“Why don’t we start with your father?  You look a lot like him, you know that?”

Following him into the galley, Jane managed a smile and nodded -- how many times had her mom told her that over the years?  “I was only eight when he died,” she reminded him.

Pulling open the door to the refrigerator, Anderson gestured for Jane to help herself.  “Well, child, I have a few stories you might be interested in hearing.”

It occurred to Jane as Anderson started speaking that destiny started her down one path then led her up a completely different one.  After all that had happened to her in her short life so far, Jane couldn’t say she had much faith in anyone or anything, but up to this point she thought she might have said that destiny was something she understood.  It appeared she still had a lot to learn.


End file.
